La Marque warns residents about arrival of Black Hawk helicopters

Published 2:08 pm, Monday, February 24, 2014

Photo: Charlie Litchfield, Associated Press

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A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter piloted by a crew from the Idaho Army National Guard Citizen Soldiers of Company A, 1-168 General Support Aviation Battalion lifts off from Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho on Saturday, April 7, 2012 as part of a one-year deployment to Afghanistan. less

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter piloted by a crew from the Idaho Army National Guard Citizen Soldiers of Company A, 1-168 General Support Aviation Battalion lifts off from Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho on Saturday, ... more

Photo: Charlie Litchfield, Associated Press

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Protective flares streak across the sky as an Army Black Hawk helicopter flies over Kandahar province in Afghanistan in 2011. The helicopters are made by Stratford, Conn.-based Sikorsky.

Protective flares streak across the sky as an Army Black Hawk helicopter flies over Kandahar province in Afghanistan in 2011. The helicopters are made by Stratford, Conn.-based Sikorsky.

Photo: PETER PARKS, Staff

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Marilyn DeSimone and Keith Herrmann turn their heads as the wind from the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter blows dust toward them as lands in the parking lot at the Kemah Boardwalk in preparation for this weekend's Salute to Military Service weekend Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, in Kemah. The event on Saturday and Sunday will feature military demonstrations including the Golden Knights Parachute Jump Team and the U.S. Coast Guard, training exercises, military vehicles and entertainment. less

Marilyn DeSimone and Keith Herrmann turn their heads as the wind from the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter blows dust toward them as lands in the parking lot at the Kemah Boardwalk in preparation for this weekend's ... more

Photo: Johnny Hanson, Houston Chronicle

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Rice Stadium contributed to the relief effort after Hurricane Ike. Here, a pair of Black Hawk helicopters depart the stadium parking lot on Sept. 14, 2008, after being met by ambulances to take patients to the Texas Medical Center in the aftermath of the devastating storm. less

Rice Stadium contributed to the relief effort after Hurricane Ike. Here, a pair of Black Hawk helicopters depart the stadium parking lot on Sept. 14, 2008, after being met by ambulances to take patients to the ... more

Photo: Steve Ueckert, Houston Chronicle

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Illinois Army National Guardsmen Sgt. Jason Jenkins of Chicago, left, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nathaniel McKean of Decatur, Ill., load their gear aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in Decatur on Wednesday morning, May 26, 2010, in preparation for a three-week mission in Hammond, La.

The members of the 106th Aviation Wing crew will be transporting loads of sand to help with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. less

Starting Tuesday, La Marque and Pasadena residents will be getting some extra daytime entertainment with the addition of two Black Hawk helicopters to their skies over the next three days.

According to the City Of La Marque, the U.S. Army will be conducting flight testing this week, from Tuesday until Friday, though they didn't specify what day they would be active.

Chief Randall Aragon with the La Marque Police Department said the choppers will be flying low, but not making any landings. Multi-agency training drills like this are a common occurrence, said Aragon, though residents who don't always get the memo in advance can get frightened.

The army previously conducted drills like this in the past two years but he wanted to get the word out in advance to quell any worries.

"They haven't released when exactly they will be active in the area," said Aragon. "They use our area because it isn't as densely populated as other spots."

Military exercises in downtown areas and residential places present special problems.

In January 2013, a training exercise at the old Carnegie Vanguard High School led many locals to call emergency services for help after hearing gunshots coming from the school. A similar incident happened in Miami's downtown around the same time, which scared the heck out of Floridians for a few hours.

To combat this, Aragon said he made sure to make use of the city's emergency alert systems and sent out thousands of phone messages to residents.

A U.S. Army representative didn't immediately return calls for comment on Monday.